Does your cat ever get the “zoomies”? Though this behaviour is kind of regular, it will also be an indicator that your furry buddy is searching for some further exercise and enrichment. In immediately’s weblog, we’re going to stroll you thru the “Contact the goal” recreation and why your cat will take pleasure in it! 

Why the Contact the goal recreation? 

The focusing on recreation could be performed in very brief classes, with one cat or a number of. It will also be performed continuously or simply often, and by one particular person or a number of folks. 

Preserve coaching classes brief, 1-2 minutes, and take many breaks to set the cat up for achievement. For cats who aren’t as within the goal, stick add a really small quantity of high-value spreadable meals on the finish. 

You will have:   

• A extremely most well-liked meals deal with, comparable to canned tuna or tuna in a pouch   
• A pencil, chopstick, popsicle stick, or dowel, to function a goal   
• Clicker (optionally available) 

Instructing your cat to the touch the goal 

1. Maintain the goal merchandise inside an inch of your cat’s head to introduce the goal. 
2. The cat ought to naturally put their head out to smell the goal merchandise. 
3. As quickly because the cat touches the goal with their nostril, mark (click on or say “sure”) and reward with a high-value deal with. Learn extra about clicker coaching on our weblog.  
4. Proceed steps 1-3 a couple of occasions in a number of completely different classes, taking breaks earlier than the cat turns into disinterested and till the cat is constantly touching the goal. 
5. As soon as the cat is reliably touching the goal, add the verbal cue “Contact” because the cat touches the goal stick, then mark (click on or say “sure”) and reward. 
6. Because the cat is efficiently touching the goal, enhance issue by shifting the goal away by 1-2inches and ultimately in numerous areas across the cat so the cat should transfer to get to the goal. 

In later classes, strive putting the goal additional away out of your cat so he should take a step or two in the direction of it, providing the goal when your cat is in movement, or seeing if you may get your cat to observe it.  

Focusing on can merely be a enjoyable exercise (you may get artistic with how you employ it) – or it may be used to assist redirect behaviours you don’t like, comparable to pouncing, scratching or biting. 

We hope you have got enjoyable educating your cat this enrichment approach! 

Try extra cat coaching and care tips about our weblog.